Houston Heimuli prepares to take one of his 22 carries on the night against Layton. Heimuli ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Braves beat the Lancers 31-10 Friday night.
Photo by Kevin Hansen | Davis Clipper

LAYTON – Taking all the momentum with them after beating Clearfield 44-7 last week, the Bountiful Braves football team played more like the Braves is accustomed to against Layton Friday night.

Houston Heimuli carried the load for the Braves’ ground game, pounding out 161 yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns as Bountiful beat Layton 31-10 at Layton High School.

“That’s why (Houston) is one of our captains,” said Braves’ coach Larry Wall. “That’s the way he runs all the time. We got back to our roots in the second half. We got the lead and ran the football well in the second half.”

Heimuli started Bountiful’s opening drive of the second half with a 20-yard run that gave Bountiful the ball near midfield. The drive ended 11 plays later when Trevor Lloyd found Ryan Curtis for a 14-yard touchdown, giving the Braves a 17-10 lead.

The first of Heimuli’s two touchdowns came in the fourth quarter when he was able to punch the ball in from one yard away. He helped set up his own touchdown, scampering for 25 yards on the previous play.

Layton’s first offensive play following the touchdown turned into an interception as Layton quarterback Hunter Evans threw the ball right to Bountiful’s Tanner Redding.

The ensuing drive for Bountiful ended with Heimuli scampering in a 22-yard touchdown with 1:15 remaining in the game.

“I really liked our second half,” said Wall. “We talk all the time about being in great condition and being in good shape. It really showed in the second half because we were able to shift gears and put on a performance like this.”

Bountiful’s other touchdown in the game came in the first quarter when Jordan Hayes found Sam Merrill on a fade route in the end zone. The touchdown gave the Braves a 10-3 lead at the time.

Haltom Nels kicked a 45-yard field goal in the first quarter to round out the scoring for Bountiful.

The Braves will be at home for the first time in four weeks next Friday night. Their opponent will be cross-town rival Woods Cross.